


Rainy Days and Broken Fences

by Vangran



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2
Genre: Accepting!Nodoka, F/M, Gen, Hospitalization, Ranma-chan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 12:57:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13481955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vangran/pseuds/Vangran
Summary: Prompt: Got the idea after reading Nodoka’s Daughter by James LeeIt starts at the beginning of the Boy Meets Mom episode. Ranma is walking in the rain and gets into an accident whereupon Nodoka (Ranma’s mom) finds him and gets him to the hospital. Unlike the above story, mine will have a different type of injury incurred and there won’t be any memory loss. Hope you enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Nodoka's Daughter](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/353604) by James Lee. 



> This is my first story posted to this site, so if something isn't showing right, please tell me. Also as a warning, updates will not be regular. I have a bit of the story written already but I am working on multiple different ones atm so my attention is divided.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no beta and I am not looking for one.

It was raining again, a fact that irritated her to no end as it triggered her curse. Ranma wasn’t sure where exactly she was, simply atop a fence as she was known to do. She had went through a heap of trouble trying to find a Japanese Spring of Drowned Man only to find out it was a regular spring with no magic. And then there was the trouble with Kodachi’s addictive cookies followed by Akane’s not-so addictive ones. Why won’t that girl ever pay attention when she cooks? And of course Akane had no problem calling him a pervert despite him never doing anything to earn the title and never being trusted. Even when she thought she was all-girl after getting smacked by the dark-bluenette she called her a pervert, even though it was her own fault! Ranma sighed, _Why doesn’t that girl ever listen to my side of the story before attacking? It’s not like I asked for all those girls to like me, or even be engaged to them._

Her thoughts were derailed as the fence began to wobble and finally broke and a woman’s voice called out to her in worry. Ranma attempted to regain her balance but the storm drain was too slick and then she lost all semblance of balance as she tumbled down the slope,, bonking her head on the concrete in the process.

“Oh my, are you alright, dear?” That woman’s voice again…

Ranma looked up at her blearily through the pain, her head feeling like it was going to split in two at any second it was so severe. She tried to get up but groaned in pain and slumped back down into the water.

“Don’t worry, dear, I’ll get you out of there soon, just hold on.” She tried to focus on the voice, but everything was starting to blur and fade away. She then heard the woman scream something unintelligible before the sound of sliding feet met her ears. “Don’t fall asleep, dear, I need you to stay awake for me, can you do that?” The voice was a lot closer now, she squinted and noticed a blob in front of her. Ranma tried to nod, but pain shot through her, “Don’t try to move, that tumble caused a fair amount of damage.”

The voice was soothing, and she leaned into the hand that was cupping her cheek. She could hear sirens in the distance, but the noise was muted.

“Can you tell me your name, dear?” The woman asked in an attempt to keep her conscious.

“-nma.”

“What was that, dear?”

“M’ names R’nma.”

“That’s a lovely name, I have a son with the same one. Can you tell me your family name, dear?” She was running her fingers through Ranma’s hair in a soothing pattern. It seemed her ponytail had come undone.

“-tome.”

The woman’s ministrations paused, “I’m sorry, dear, what did you say your name was again?”

“R’nma S’otome.”

The woman turned Ranma’s head to face hers, looking for something in the injured girl’s face. “My name is No-…” the woman was cut off as the sounds of sirens grew slightly louder, as well as shouts for a ladder and the paramedics to be on standby. She was dimly aware of being lifted out of the water and the woman’s grasp before feeling herself carefully raised carefully out of the canal, then being lowered onto a gurney, being strapped in and pushed inside the ambulance.

“I’m coming with you,” the woman said firmly.

“Ma’am, you know the rules, only family can ride with us.”

“I’m her mother, is that close enough for you?”

“...Right this way, ma’am.”

The woman was holding her hand again, Ranma thought absently, “Be strong, sweetie.” A cool sensation on her forehead confused her, what had the woman done? It wasn’t a hand that’s for sure, it was too soft for that, so what was it?

Nodoka Saotome watched sadly as who she assumed to be her son (or a strange girl assuming his name) drifted in and out of consciousness. It was hard enough when she saw the girl tumble down the incline but hearing the young lady’s name cut her deep. Her husband had a lot to answer for.

They arrived at the Juuban General Hospital after what seemed an eternity, and her child was wheeled into the emergency room and it took all she had not to break down as she passed out of sight behind the doors. A male nurse gently guided her over to a chair and helped her sit.

“We’ll let you know when she’s stabilized, ma’am, I’m sorry this has happened.” The man was quite sympathetic to her plight.

Nodoka sniffled, “I haven’t seen her in over ten years, I wasn’t even aware she was in the country when this happened.”

The nurse patted her on the back gently, a kind smile on his face, “I might not be able to empathize with your situation, ma’am, but I like to think if my daughter was gone for that long I’d be a wreck too if the moment I was reunited she was hurt. We’ll save her, you can count on it.”

She thanked him for his kind words, and he departed to start his rounds. A couple hours passed before the door opened and a doctor emerged from the room, he pulled his mask down and looked around a moment before his eyes fell on her and walked over.

“Mrs. Saotome?”

“Yes, that is my name.”

“Your daughter is going to be just fine. There was some swelling and damage to the back of her skull, only to be expected considering how she was found, but we’ve reduced it and while she might be sensitive to light for a few days there shouldn’t be any long-term effects of the accident. Of course, it was while we were finishing that one of the other doctors noticed something strange.”

Nodoka gulped nervously, no amount of training could have prepared her for this kind of situation, “What was it, doctor?”

“She has several cuts and bruises covering her body. Now, some seem to be similar to those you’d find on the body of someone who practices martial arts, but the others…” He took a deep breath, “We have reason to believe your daughter was abused, Mrs. Saotome.”

She gasped, a hand rising to cover her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. “W-was she…”

He shook his head, and she sighed in relief, “We found no evidence that she was sexually abused, thankfully. We had to check to make sure, but there is no vaginal tearing.”

She smiled up at him tearfully, “Thank you for telling me, doctor.”

He shook his head, “It’s no problem at all, ma’am. I only wish this was a simple (or as simple as one of these injuries can be) case of blunt-force trauma.” He sighed again, “I wish there was a better way to phrase this, but,” his eyes narrowed as he looked at her, “Have you been hitting your daughter?”

Her eyes narrowed in outrage, “Of course not! I would never…”

He held up his hands placatingly, “I’m sorry, I had to ask. I also have to ask if you know where your husband is? I assume since you are the only one here that he is too busy to visit?”

She shook her head as the rage disappeared from her features, “I have no knowledge of my husband’s whereabouts. He took my child with him over 10 years ago on an extended training trip and hasn’t been back since. Although seeing as she is here now, I can assume that he is in the country as well.” Her eyes narrowed again, “I will be having some words with that man when I find him.” And I have a pretty good idea where he is, too.

It was with shaking hands that she accepted the doctor’s assistance rising to her feet and into the room her child was in. She couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes as she beheld Ranma on the bed surrounded by machines with an oxygen mask covering her mouth. She made her way over to the bed and cautiously reached out to cup her cheek. She really does look like my daughter, she thought absently.

She sat down in a nearby chair and simply sat there, soaking in her possible child’s features. While her hair had darkened to auburn with age, at one time it had been as vibrant as the girl’s before her. And from what she remembered, she had blue eyes like her husband Genma. Nodoka’s eyes narrowed. Make that soon to be ex-husband. She never should have let him take their child all those years ago. And so help him if her only child died due to his negligence…

It was 2 weeks later that Ranma finally woke up, the swelling nearly entirely gone and the skull well on its way to full recovery, although it would still be tender for another month and a half.

So it was tired blue eyes opened after many days and it was to the sight of a middle-aged woman and a doctor. The woman was crying with a hand over her mouth as she looked at her. The doctor placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

Her eyes roamed the room, trying to see if the old man or the Tendo’s were here but beyond the three of them the room was empty. She turned confused eyes upon the woman whose smile wobbled in the face of the question they were asking.

“Hello, Ranma, I know you probably don’t know who I am, but my name is Nodoka Saotome, and I’m your mother.”

Ranma tried to question her about that but all that came out was a dry rasp. Mrs. Saotome’s eyes widened as she quickly retrieved a paper cup and filled it with water before helping Ranma drink it. She coughed as it went down, licking her lips when it was all gone.

“Wh-where w-were y-you?” she got out finally.

Her eyes fell, and she reached out to grab Ranma’s between hers, “I had thought it would take place years in the future! Not when you were 2 years old! I never would have let him take you if I had known his true plans, I swear to you on my honor.”

The heartbreak had her stuttering apologies that were waved off with a shake of the head, “It’s not your fault, dear, there was nothing you could have done to stop him as an infant.”

During this time the doctor had quietly left the room, alerting the nurses who worked in Ranma’s room not to disturb them for the time being.

Of course, it was right after Nodoka finished speaking that Ranma remembered something and looked down at her body and remembered she was still, in fact, a she. Her eyes widened in fear that sent her into another round of coughs.

After draining another cup of water, Ranma did her best to explain the reason why she was a daughter now instead of a son.

Nodoka listened patiently as her only child told the story of Jusenkyo and how he came to be cursed. She had already heard about it, but a second source never hurt. She frowned. “Are you telling me that after your father was cursed, rather obviously it seems, he still knocked you into a pool?”

Ranma nodded sadly.

Nodoka caressed her face and drew her into a hug, it didn’t matter anymore that her only child was cursed (it made more sense that way why Ranma looked so unnervingly like her), but it did tell her why her husband never told her he was in the country. Although it seemed it was entirely his fault so he’d be the only one taking the blade if she had anything to say about it. And she did!

Just then a thought occurred to the young redhead, “H-how do you I’m yours anyway? I-I mean, there must be others with my name out there.”

Her mom ran her fingers through the neck-length hair, “While you were sleeping the kind doctors here ran a blood test, it came back with a 100% match. Now of course I know I only gave birth to one child so this curse does explain some things to me.” As she proceeded to rub Ranma’s back, she asked, “So, have you met any pretty girls?”

“Mom!” she whined, and wasn’t that a strange thought to the girl who before today had thought her mother dead.

Nodoka giggled, “Or handsome boys, if you swing that way.”

Ranma groaned and buried her face in the older woman’s kimono.

A thought occurred to the woman, “By the way, what is your preference?”

“I…” she licked her suddenly dry lips, “I’m bisexual. But I only look at girls, I swear”

Nodoka whispered soothingly in her ear as she rubbed her back, “It’s alright, sweetie, as much as I want grandchildren at this point I think I can settle with you being happy.”

Ranma smiled but it broke as a yawn slipped past her lips.

“Looks like it’s time for you to take a nap, sweetie,” Mom giggled.

Ranma pouted, “’M not a baby.”

She kissed her daughter’s forehead, “I have more than 14 years of mothering to make up for, and I’m not letting you go this time. Oh, I’ll need to call your school to let them know what happened, where do you attend?”

“F-Furinkan High.”

Knew it. “Thank you, sweetie. Now get some sleep, little missy, you have a long road til your fully recovered.” _And in the meantime I have some things to brainstorm._


	2. Chapter 2

It was a Monday, and as usual Akane was forced to deal with the Hentai Horde and their master, Tatewaki Kuno. It had been over two weeks since anyone had seen Ranma and at this point even Akane was becoming concerned. Of course during the first week she yelled that he was away being a pervert (not that anyone believed her except her dad who cried about the schools never being joined…)

So after getting to class just seconds before the bell rang, she gave a sigh of relief. But something strange happened during attendance today: Ranma’s name was skipped.

“Um, Ms. Hinako?” (A/N: I realize she isn’t at the school yet in canon but I try not to make OC’s if I can help it)

“Yes, Ms. Tendo?”

“Why wasn’t Ranma’s name called? Did you hear something?”

A thoughtful look overtook the woman’s child form, “Hm, what was the reason again? Ah yes, Someone called from a nearby hospital that he was involved in an accident a couple weeks ago and was still in recovery.”

Her eyes widened in shock as the class began to talk amongst themselves. That was the last thing she thought had happened to the arrogant martial artist, especially after all the trouble he went through with Ryoga’s challenge.

It was a dazed bluenette that made her way home after school that day. Only Kasumi putting her hand on the younger girl’s shoulder snapped her out of it, although she was still visibly stunned.

“What seems to be the matter, Akane?”

“I-I know what happened to Ranma.”

Those six words brought a hush upon the dojo, and even Genma turned away from his game with Soun to look at her with serious eyes.

“What happened to my son, girl?”

Still slightly out of it she didn’t attack him for his tone, “He-he got in an accident a couple weeks ago. He-he’s in a hospital, but I don’t know which one.”

“Oh my!” Kasumi gasped in shock, her hand rising to her mouth as she worried about their young guest. Ranma unlike his father actually bothered to help around the house.

Nabiki blinked as she recalled reading in the newspaper about someone falling into a drain and being rushed to the hospital in a neighboring district. She’d have to look up the name of the hospital, but what was he doing so far from Nerima?

Genma frowned. As the boy’s father, he should have been notified if his son went to the hospital (not that he ever actually took his son there before, but hey, semantics).

“Why wasn’t I called?”

Nabiki’s eyes rose to the ceiling in thought, “If I remember right, a woman found him and brought him to the hospital, although they took him in his girl form, so I doubt they’d have known to contact you.”

“I knew it! Boy’s getting soft! I’ll have to up his training when I find him.”

At this point Nabiki exchanged glances with Kasumi who she came to a silent agreement with to hold off finding where Ranma is for as long as possible. After all, if he’d been in the hospital for this long, he must’ve been hurt pretty badly.

While the others talking about what to do when they find him, Nabiki stealthily made her way over to her older sister who looked equally relieved and worried at the same time. “I know Ranma’s a bit of a blowhard, but even he needs a break every now and then. I’ll do what I can to deflect them and check my sources to see how he’s doing.”

Kasumi smiled at her gratefully, “Thank you, Nabiki.” She hugged her briefly before retreating to the kitchen to make dinner.

Three days after Ranma woke up from her drug-induced coma (she had tried to get up and exercise while her mom was sleeping and while she was able to stand wobbly for a few seconds a silent alert was sent to the nurse on deck who, naturally, gasped in horror at what their former coma patient was attempting and forced her back in bed before reinserting the iv drip that had been removed when she woke up initially and put her back to sleep), she was released into her mother’s care. It was a quiet drive to her new home from the hospital. She found it humiliating that she had to be wheeled out to the waiting car and that the doctor ordered her to continue using the chair for the next two weeks so as to not potentially aggravate her injury.

It was quite the experience to see her early childhood home for the first time since she was a toddler (not that she remembered it). She sighed, and to think she had thought her mother was dead.

When they arrived, Nodoka got out and thanked the driver who had set up the wheelchair for Ranma and helped the small girl into it.

The daughter looked up at her mother as she was pushed into her new residence and couldn’t help but notice how similar her female form looked to her, which made sense now that she thought about it. After they were both inside and the door closed behind them, she watched nervously as her mother walked around to her front and knelt in front of her, unsure of what was going on.

The older woman's eyes were tearing up as she looked upon her only child before she reached out and pulled her into a hug, drawing Ranma’s head to the crook of her neck as she cried openly, inciting a similar reaction from the teen as she wrapped her own arms around her and sobbed. She was finally home, and this time she wasn’t going anywhere.

* * *

At the Tendo Dojo

 

Akane was furious that her fiance wasn’t here. After all he’d been through, he should have been up and fighting already by now. Sure she’ been shocked when she found out what happened, but after it wore off all that was left was rage. It was just like before, always calling her uncute and a tomboy. Always cozying up to that floozy Shampoo. He was probably perving on the kind nurses there, the freak.

As she fumed, Nabiki and Kasumi were having a hushed conversation in the kitchen (a place Mr. Saotome and their dad would never go).

“It’s been 2 weeks since they learned about Ranma’s accident and Akane and Mr. Saotome are STILL going on about pummeling him when they find him,” Kasumi bowed her head sadly.

Nabiki sighed, “If things continue as they are, we’ll have to throw them a bone, I don’t know how much longer I can keep them off Ranma’s trail. The only reason they haven’t found him yet is because they haven’t bothered to do any research of their own. It’s not like the information is hidden.”

Heck, she still had the newspaper that told her about it in the first place. Granted the issue that came out the week after went on about a mother-daughter reunion but she didn’t recognize the woman, although now that she thought about it, she did remind her of someone.

Her eyes widened, “Oh my Kami, the woman who found Ranma was his mom!”

Kasumi blinked in surprise, “Truly?”

Nabiki nodded, “Yeah, it was front page news, they went on about a woman who hadn’t seen her child in years finding her. Now that I think about it they did mention the daughter getting injured so I guess Ranma was in girl-form when it happened. She must not know about his curse, although knowing him he might tell her just to tone down misunderstandings.”

The two girls sighed, Ranma really did lead an interesting life.

* * *

 Back at the Saotome residence

 

Ranma was enjoying herself for the first time in a while. Sure she was on enforced bed-rest but the trade-off was getting cared for by her mother.

She smiled at her mother as she came in, “Good morning, dear, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, momma.” She loved saying that. It might be girly to say it that way but she hadn’t seen her mom in over 10 years, so she felt she had some leeway.

Nodoka smiled contentedly at her daughter, Oh it’s so good to have Ranma back. Sure she wished her little girl was actually a little girl to mother but she’d take what she could get. “Breakfast is on the table, sweetie, I thought I’d come up to help you get ready for today.”

Ranma shifted nervously in bed, “Momma, are you sure I need physical therapy? I’m a martial artist, I know my own body.”

Her mom looked at her sternly, “Ranma, you are a young lady and are recovering from that injury (as grateful as I am that it brought you to me). You know your male body but I get the feeling that you don‘t know your female one quite as well despite your statements to the contrary. Sweetie, I just want what’s best for you, won’t you trust me?”

The small redhead gulped, looking away to hide the tears in her eyes, “Alright mom, I understand.” She flinched briefly as she was enveloped in her mother’s embrace, the back of her head cradled gently in her hand. 

“I know it makes you uncomfortable to admit that you need help, but we all need it from time to time, and you are no less manly for it. You are my child, no matter what gender and I will always love you.”

She teared up then, clutching the back of her mother’s kimono as she pressed her head into her chest.

For all that she was a guy, being a girl for this long was having an effect on her brain, and it didn’t help that she met her mother at the same time so her emotions were out of whack. Plus being told not to change for the rest of her recovery meant she would be experiencing _that_ again.

She mentally shuddered in memory of her time locked as a girl by Cologne.

After she got herself back under control, her mom leaned back and looked at her, her own eyes slightly misty but gaining a sly look. Alarm bells went off in the small girl’s head.

“So, while you were in the hospital I met an interesting boy…”

 

 *Flashback*

During the first half of the second week of Ranma’s stay at the hospital

Ryoga had gotten lost again, searching for his mortal enemy Ranma Saotome. He kept going and during his travels went from Hong Kong to Mexico City to Toledo to Algiers, Algeria to… I think you get the idea. The point is, he was back in Japan! But for some reason the walls were white and there were doctors and nurses and patients moving around him as he stood trying to figure out how he got inside a hospital.

So he took to walking, trying to find the exit, only to continually walk into the wrong rooms although down the line he came upon one room in particular where an older woman with dark red hair was sitting at the bedside of a small red-haired gi… wait a second, Ranma? What’s he doing in a hospital?

”RANMA SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!”

He cried his usual as he charged only to find a katana pointed at his throat before he could take a third step.

He followed the blade’s length to the hilt and eventually to the one holding it. He gulped at the look in the woman’s eyes, “Who are you and what do you think you’re going to do with my daughter?”

Ryoga spluttered, “D-d-DAUGHTER? But that would make you his…” His mind blanked as he realized the implications. Of course, it was also at that point that he actually bothered to look at Ranma’s prone form, and saw all the machines hooked up to her and the oxygen mask covering her face and came to the conclusion that something really bad must have happened.

“U-um, I’m R-Ryoga H-Hibiki , s-sorry about this, M-M-Mrs. Saotome, it’s a h-habit.” For all his strength, old women scared the crap out of him. Cologne had seen to that thoroughly.

With a suspicious glare the blade was retracted although not sheathed as it was laid across her lap. (He realized with a jolt that the hospital staff must have allowed her to keep it with her, and the implications of THAT were terrifying). She cleared her throat, kick-starting his brain as he attempted to come up with an acceptable answer that wouldn’t see him skewered like a pig… he shook his head mentally, he was NOT going there.

“U-um, w-well y-you s-see th-the th-thing I-is…”

She frowned, “Do you have a speech impediment?” Frowning, in confusion, he shook his head. He then felt a brief flash of pain as he was whacked on the side of the head with the flat edge of her katana, “Then stop stuttering and start speaking!”

Eep! And this was Ranma’s mother? “W-well.” She cleared her throat pointedly, “R-right,” he coughed into his hand, “We went to middle school together. Oftentimes the lunch ladies would throw lunches out at the horde in order speed things up. Before Ranma showed up I was always getting the curry bread, but then he made a show of grabbing it each and every time. Eventually I got tired of it so I issued him a man-to-man challenge.”

She smiled at that, “My son must be manly indeed for you to do such a thing, as… distasteful (A/N: pun totally intended) as the reason for the challenge may be.”

Ryoga shuffled his feet nervously, “Well, when I finally got there…”  
  
She narrowed her eyes, “What do you mean, finally?”

His eyes shifted this way and that as he tried to come up with an excuse that wouldn’t make him look like an idiot who had no idea where he was half the time or more. “Um, I got there 4 days after the day it was supposed to be and he wasn’t there.”

Nodoka raised an eyebrow, “And you’re upset about that? If you couldn’t make it to your own challenge my son most likely considered it a waste of time.”

He growled, “He said he waited 3 days, but apparently couldn’t bother to wait one more before going off on a training trip.”

She sighed, “Did you ever consider that my husband was responsible for him leaving?”

Ryoga blinked, “Um, what?”

“My husband, Genma Saotome. He’s been hiding from me ever since he returned to Japan. I wasn’t even aware my son attended middle school here. Could it not be that he took my son while he was waiting for you?”

“But he knocked me into the Jusenkyo!”

“The what?”

“The Jusenkyo, it’s a place covered in cursed springs that if you fall into one give you the cursed form of whatever or whoever drowned in it originally. Cold water turns you into the form and hot water turns you back.”

“I find that hard to believe, after all, you look quite human to me, young man.”

(A/N: I thought about having Ryoga say "I got better" but figured that would be too cheesy) He really didn’t want to do this, but this seemed like one woman he didn’t want to cross, so, setting his pack down (gently!) he filled a cup of water and poured it over his head. Her gasp of shock at his sudden transformation into a small black piglet and his sudden change of perspective telling him that the curse had indeed activated.

“Bweee!”

“Oh my, I see you weren’t lying after all. Very well, let’s get you back to normal, shall we?

One cup of hot water later (and some hasty maneuvers to hide his privates and change back into his clothes), and the woman was looking at her child contemplatively.

“There is much my husband has to answer for, and my son might have played a part in it, but please remember that my son has been raised solely by that man for over 10 years and that leaves its own kind of scars.”

Ryoga was surprised at the new (to him) information about his rival’s father. Sure he’d seen him at the Tendo Dojo but beyond being a freeloader and attacking his son out of the blue he never really did anything. But for all that he despised Ranma, if his dad was the only influence he’d had in his life up til now… No wonder he was so messed up. It also explained the sexist lines he’d spout every so often and the almost complete lack of social graces.

His anger stuttered and died in the face of the grieving mother and her only child who was hooked up to so many machines that it told the lost boy that Ranma had potentially lost the biggest fight of his life: the fight to survive. Seeing Ranma in his smaller girl form only drove home how frail his now-former rival was (he didn’t think the guy’s mom would let them fight anytime soon if the glare he had gotten was any indication).

Coming to the conclusion that he would be better off letting that grudge go, he swore to himself not to start anymore fights with the youngest Saotome… and be more patient with the fella. If only because he couldn’t imagine Genma Saotome actually teaching him anything that didn’t involve martial arts or why women are weak and he was kinda sorta remembering that it was actually the panda that knocked him off the cliff and not Ranma. It also didn’t help that the panda had tried to eat him moments later.

Speaking of knocking, he remembered when he saw Ranma in just his oversized gi while in girl form back at Jusenkyo and his nose started to bleed.

Nodoka blinked at the boy’s rapid shift in behavior and then giggled to herself. It seemed that her son… well, daughter now, had managed to get an admirer if the way Ryoga was staring at her prone form was anything to go by, and he was certainly manly enough. Hmm… She stared at him intently as plans began to form in her head.

Ryoga shuddered suddenly, his eyes turned to see Mrs. Saotome staring at him and he got the feeling that whatever she was thinking wasn’t going to make him a very happy person right now. That twinkle in her eyes felt like the eyes of a wolf eyeing its prey. And he wasn’t the wolf.

The Saotome Matriarch knew that Ranma was really her son, but, well, she was a girl right now and she’d always wanted a girl to teach the virtues of womanhood. And here was a fine specimen of a man that had manliness rolling off him in waves just waiting for the right woman to come along.

“So, Ryoga was it?” At his hesitant nod, her eyes gained a gleam that made him want to get lost fast. “What do you think of my daughter?”

Ooooohhhhh no. Not that. Anything but that. Why did Ranma’s mother have ask _that_ question? His eyes grew wide with panic as he tried to think of a way out of this without offending the stab-happy mother. What made it even worse was that Ranma wasn’t a girl all the time if he could help it. Not that he wasn’t beautiful in his girl form or anything, but… oh Kami did he just think Ranma was beautiful?

Nodoka was smiling like the cat that got the canary and it was when another shiver went down his spine that he realized he hadn’t been quite as quiet as he thought.

“Well,” she said still smirking, “I’m sure she will appreciate your compliment, young man.” Mrs. Saotome’s face turned serious in a flash, “By the way, if you tell my foolish husband about meeting me, there will be one more eunuch in the world.”

He slowly began backing up out of the room as he realized that he really had no safe way of ending the conversation, so with a “Wellitwasnicetalkingtoyou butIgottago, bye!” And disappeared into the hallway, and promptly got himself lost again.

The hospital security staff were baffled at the end of the day when reviewing the tapes as they tried to figure out where he went, but somehow halfway down the second hallway on the fourth floor he just vanished.

*Flashback End*

 

Ranma gulped, “Ummm, how interesting are we talking? Did he carry a bokken, large umbrella or wear Chinese robes?”

Nodoka blinked, “The second one.” And now she wanted to know about the other two as well.

Ranma groaned, “Ryoga then. Seriously, even when I’m comatose he finds me. I swear it’s like he has a homing beacon on me or something.”

That gave the older woman some ideas. “Really now?”

Ranma did _not_ like the look in her mother’s eyes.


End file.
